Students gain up to five months of additional learning when new teachers receive high-quality mentoring

Students gain up to five months of additional learning when new teachers receive high-quality mentoring

New Teacher Center’s Induction Model Proven to Increase Student Achievement, According to New U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) Results

SANTA CRUZ, CA ― Final results from the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) Validation grant show that the New Teacher Center’s (NTC’s) teacher induction model for new teachers increases student learning in grades 4-8 by an additional 2-4 months in ELA/reading and an additional 2-5 months in math. These third-party evaluation results prove that the NTC induction model yields statistically significant gains in student learning – a gold-standard that few peer organizations can demonstrate.

“Teachers are the most critical school-based factor impacting student achievement, as the research clearly shows,” declared NTC CEO Ellen Moir. “But, to reach this high standard, new teachers, especially those in high-needs districts who leave the profession at a higher rate, need additional support. When new teachers are better prepared and have the skills to effectively teach, students learn more, and we can work to close the achievement gap and give kids a fair opportunity to succeed.”

In 2012, out of 727 applicants, NTC was one of twenty organizations to receive the federal i3 grant. NTC expanded their induction model into three sites representing rural consortium, urban and large metropolitan districts, including:

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in Illinois

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) in Florida

Grant Wood Area Education Agency (Grant Wood AEA), a group of 32 school districts in eastern Iowa

The grant allowed NTC to pair high-quality, trained mentors with new teachers and assess which components of their induction model positively impacted teachers and students. Specifically, the results showed that the following strategies led to increased student learning:

NTC’s formative assessment system to guide instruction and student supports

Consistent data for program improvement

“I’m at the front of my Chicago classroom day after day, working to make sure my kids absorb and truly understand the lesson at hand. Every one of my kids, though, faces a different challenge–whether it’s homelessness, speaking a second language, coming into my classroom years behind where they should be. As a new teacher, I constantly questioned how my lessons could reach them and get them learning,” said CPS teacher Rachel Jackson. “NTC gave me and my fellow teachers the skills and tools to really make an impact. The feedback we’ve gotten from the trained mentors helped me rethink my approach to teaching and my students are more engaged and learning more.”

“Broward partnered with NTC to scale an induction model and provide strong coaching and mentorship for new teachers,” said Broward director of coaching and induction, Angela Brown. “Out of the gate, we’re already seeing a change in how teachers approach instruction in their classrooms. We’ll want to build upon this and continuously improve moving forward.”

Building upon the knowledge gained from i3 sites, NTC is working with districts across the country to better understand how to implement proven strategies in different contexts.

A separate i3 Scale-Up grant, for example, is underway and allows NTC to expand and analyze their work in high-need school districts, including Broward County Public Schools (FL), Fresno Unified School District (CA), New York City Department of Education (NY), Polk County Public Schools (FL), San Francisco Unified School District (CA) and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL).

“These results prove that NTC’s method of training exemplary teachers to mentor their newer colleagues increases student learning by making teachers more effective in the classroom,” concluded Moir. “Every new teacher should receive this type of instructional support.”

To learn more about how a partnership with NTC can increase student learning in a district, contact: PARTNERSHIPS@NEWTEACHERCENTER.ORG.

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New Teacher Center is a national nonprofit focused on improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of new teachers and school leaders. NTC partners with states, school districts, and policymakers to design and implement programs that create sustainable, high-quality mentoring and professional development; build leadership capacity; work to enhance teaching conditions; improve retention; and transform schools into vibrant learning communities where all students succeed.

2 responses to “Students gain up to five months of additional learning when new teachers receive high-quality mentoring”

This was a very informative and productive session. The use of the CAL will be very beneficial Also viewing this as a partnership will give the mentee a sense of relief and the ability to relax. Being able to trust the person that’s mentoring you is a key component to success.

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